Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Chap. r .se~. 7 Looking unto 1ift~~, Boo.icV, Io75 fornew heavens, andttnew earth." diffolution mends-notafa- r; . brick, but deftroye; it; how then fhould that which is diffolved be faid to be referved, and let ftand ? fut;e!.v if 'Peter had thought ofthis refining only, fome words of h1s would have intimated fo much. The end of thefe creat~res was for mans ufe, and man ufing them no more, to what end fhould they be reierved? to fay for a monument ofwhat hath been ; or for the habitation of the Saints; or for an out-let for the Saints, defcending fametimes from the higheft heavens to folace themfelves here below ; are but groundleffe furmifes, and deferve no anfwer at all. 2. Pofitively, by new be~~vens, and new earth, is meant the heaven of heavens, and place of glory. Now thefe heavens are termed new, not in regard of their new making, but ofour new taking polleffion of them for our new habitation ; and they are called heavens and e.Jrth, becaufe they come inftead of that · heavenly covering, and that earthly habitation which we now enjoy; fo that the text may well beare this paraphrafe, we look; f or new heavens i i.) the fupreame court of Gods prefence, and a new earth, (i.) a new habitation for us; which fhall infinitely exceede the commodities and happinefs of thefe heavens & earth which we now enjoy; thus John in his revelations, And I [aw a new h~aven and a new earth, for the firft heaven, and the fir.ft earth Rev.%1, r. were paffed away, and there w.u nomore fea. This new heaven and new earth is the place or habitation prepared for the bleffed Saints and people ofGod. A new heav en, where the Moon is more glorious than our Sun, and the Sun as glorious as be that made it, for it is he himfelfe, the Son of God, 1 he Sun of righteoufneffe, the Sun of glory; a new Mrth, where all their waters are milke, and all their milke honey; where all their graffe is corne, and all their corne Manna ; where all their glebe, and clods of earth are gold, and all their gold of innumerable Carats; where all their minutes are ages, and all their ages eternity ; where every thing is every minute in the higheft exaltation as good as can be. Of thefe new heavens, and this new earth, I can never fay enough, nor know enough, till . I come thither to inhabit it. Something only we fhall dif- .. , cover of it in our next" S e~.'t ions; for now are the Saints entred -•:•rn with Jefus Chrift. ·>: Xxxxxx 2 Only

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